Updated Apr 26, 2013 - 11:35 pm

Seahawks choose DT Jordan Hill in third round

RENTON – Seattle's third-round pick didn't have any more name recognition than its second-round pick. The position was a little more predictable, though.

The Seahawks drafted defensive tackle Jordan Hill out of Penn State in the third round Friday, using the No. 87 overall pick to choose him. He is 6 feet 1, 303 pounds and performed 28 repetitions in the 225-pound bench-press test.

The Jordan Hill file

Position:

Defensive tackle

School:

Penn State

Height/Weight:

6-1, 303 lbs.

Drafted:

Round 3, 87 overall

Notable:

Can play both nose tackle and 3-technique. Totaled 64 tackles and 4.5 sacks as a senior.

"He's different than the guys we have. He's got a real nice quickness. He has an ability to get on the edge and get in the backfield and penetrate," Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said from the team's headquarters. "He's a really good effort guy, which we always like that."

Hill started 27 of the 45 games he played at Penn State, and while he played mostly nose guard in college, he could play either defensive tackle spot for Seattle.

"I'm a versatile player," Hill said during a conference call. "I'm not only a guy who can just pass rush, I can also stop the play. I'm a guy that plays with a high motor. I want to get after it each and every play."

That is an area of need for Seattle.

The Seahawks' decision to select a running back in the second round was somewhat of a surprise, and they took a more straightforward approach to the biggest question mark in their starting lineup. Defensive tackle Alan Branch – the team's starter the past two years – was not re-signed in free agency. He ended up in Buffalo and the Seahawks signed Tony McDaniel, a veteran with two career starts, to a one-year deal.

"It's an emotional feeling," Hill said. "I've been waiting for a phone call, and I'm really excited that it's going to be Seattle."

He has never been to the city before. Now, he's hoping to become a mainstay in the middle of Seattle's line.